New York World's Fair - Emmett Kelly Jr

Send in the sad clowns! Just one will do, come to think of it. Emmett Kelly Sr. developed his character "Weary Willie" - a hobo clown who evoked pathos as well as laughs. This was revolutionary in its day, as most clowns performed slapstick stunts and devoured children.

When Sr. retired in 1960, his son, Emmett Kelly Jr. took over the Weary Willie character. In 1964, Eastman Kodak was looking for a representative to appear at its pavilion at the New York World's Fair and chose Kelly, who rapidly became one of the most popular attractions at the Fair.


Eastman Kodak was so pleased that they asked him to become the touring Ambassador of Goodwill for the company, which Kelly Jr. did for four years.


It was during those six years (two years at the Fair and the subsequent four years) that he became America's most recognized and photographed clown.

I have vague memories of seeing Emmett Kelly Jr. on television when I was a kid... maybe on The Carol Burnett Show or one of the other many variety shows that filled the schedules back in those days. His most famous bit involved trying to sweep up a number of small moving spotlights into a single blob of light. I use a vacuum cleaner, myself.